Take a Glimpse at Tahoe's Natural History

Segment 10 - Air Date: April 8
((Anchor Intro))
A major strategy of the various organizations working to keep Tahoe blue is to educate the public about Lake Tahoe. That's the purpose of our weekly Lake Tahoe Report. In tonight's segment, Shelly Purdy gives a geologic history lesson about how the lake was formed and explains why that geology makes preserving the amazing clarity of Lake Tahoe so difficult.
((TAKE PKG))
((Track 1))
It's hard to believe by looking at Lake Tahoe today, but hundreds of millions of years ago this was all just one big mountain range ... with no lake at all. A relatively short time ago violent earthquakes pushed the mountains up and caused the bottom to fall out -- leaving the footprint for a future Lake Tahoe.
((SOT - tape 1 @ 20:13 Doug Smith, Geologist))
"As that area was pulling apart part of the blocks dropped out and then five million years ago there were all these volcanic eruptions. Mt. Pluto dammed up the north and these glaciers scraped out all the mountains and filled the lake."
((Track 2))
It was during this period of glacial melting that huge ice rivers carved out current day Emerald Bay. And the lake was filled with pure glacial melt water. It's this unique geology and extreme depth of Lake Tahoe that helps give it it's amazing crystal blue clarity -- but it's also because of that extreme depth that pollution has such a devastating effect.
((SOT - tape 1 @ 20:36))
"The lake is over 1600 feet deep and filled with water that is thousands of years old. So any drop of pollution that goes into the lake stays thee for a long time."
((Track 3))
That's why it's so critical to keep pollutants from getting into Lake Tahoe in the first place. With the Lake Tahoe Education Coalition, I'm Shelly Purdy for KOLO News Channel 8.
((Anchor Tag/Still Store))
If you would like more detailed information about how Lake Tahoe was formed or to learn more about pollutants in Lake Tahoe, visit our website at kolotv.com and go to the links page. In next week's Lake Tahoe Report, Shelly will introduce us to some of the people who are working so hard to protect this valuable resource.

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

Segment 10 - Air Date: April 8
((Anchor Intro))
A major strategy of the various organizations working to keep Tahoe blue is to educate the public about Lake Tahoe. That's the purpose of our weekly Lake Tahoe Report. In tonight's segment, Shelly Purdy gives a geologic history lesson about how the lake was formed and explains why that geology makes preserving the amazing clarity of Lake Tahoe so difficult.
((TAKE PKG))
((Track 1))
It's hard to believe by looking at Lake Tahoe today, but hundreds of millions of years ago this was all just one big mountain range ... with no lake at all. A relatively short time ago violent earthquakes pushed the mountains up and caused the bottom to fall out -- leaving the footprint for a future Lake Tahoe.
((SOT - tape 1 @ 20:13 Doug Smith, Geologist))
"As that area was pulling apart part of the blocks dropped out and then five million years ago there were all these volcanic eruptions. Mt. Pluto dammed up the north and these glaciers scraped out all the mountains and filled the lake."
((Track 2))
It was during this period of glacial melting that huge ice rivers carved out current day Emerald Bay. And the lake was filled with pure glacial melt water. It's this unique geology and extreme depth of Lake Tahoe that helps give it it's amazing crystal blue clarity -- but it's also because of that extreme depth that pollution has such a devastating effect.
((SOT - tape 1 @ 20:36))
"The lake is over 1600 feet deep and filled with water that is thousands of years old. So any drop of pollution that goes into the lake stays thee for a long time."
((Track 3))
That's why it's so critical to keep pollutants from getting into Lake Tahoe in the first place. With the Lake Tahoe Education Coalition, I'm Shelly Purdy for KOLO News Channel 8.
((Anchor Tag/Still Store))
If you would like more detailed information about how Lake Tahoe was formed or to learn more about pollutants in Lake Tahoe, visit our website at kolotv.com and go to the links page. In next week's Lake Tahoe Report, Shelly will introduce us to some of the people who are working so hard to protect this valuable resource.